Electrochemical activation processes are well known in the water treatment purification industry. As a result of electrochemical processes, both water and brine solution become meta-stable and can be further used in different physical and chemical processes. In a typical electrochemical process, an electrical power source is connected to two electrodes, or two plates (typically made from some inert metal such as platinum, stainless steel or iridium), which are placed in the water. Hydrogen will appear at the cathode (the negatively charged electrode, where electrons enter the water) and oxygen will appear at the anode (the positively charged electrode). Assuming ideal faradaic efficiency, the amount of hydrogen generated is twice the amount of oxygen, and both are proportional to the total electrical charge conducted by the solution. Water and brine solutions activated at the cathode electrode demonstrate high electron activity and anti-oxidant properties. Whereas, water and brine solutions activated at the anode electrode possess low electron activity and oxidant properties. The effect of water meta-stability is the basis for processes relating to water conditioning, purification and decontamination, as well as for the technologies of transforming water and brine solutions into environmentally friendly, anti-microbial liquids.
The use of silicone coatings on the surfaces of particles is known. For example, powder treatment with special silicones has been developed to improve the compatibility between the treated powder and a variety of oils, such as fluorinated oils or silicone oils, and also, to enhance the stability of powder and oils in emulsion systems. One such special silicone is a one-end reactive silicone-grafted silicone compound that has an extremely high water repellency, dispersibility in volatile oils, and good usability as a powder coating. The special silicone compound can be used as a powder-treating agent in any known method for powder-surface treatment.
The surface treatment of pigments has also found to make it easier to incorporate them into cosmetic formulations. For example, pigments coated with different types of silicones are commercially available and, when used as cosmetic pigments in formulations, the coating facilitates the incorporation of the pigment into hydrophobic formulations; whereas the untreated pigment would generally have little affinity. Unfortunately, silicone polymers are generally unsuitable for particle encapsulation using spraying/drying techniques.
Some pigments are coated with fluorocarbon polymers to improve their adhesive power, while also forming a film upon application. Other pigments are coated with natural polymers, such as collagen proteins. However, these types of coatings are not favorable for adhesion of the pigment to the skin and can experience manufacturing difficulties, especially in make-up formulations. The advantage of this type of coating is the ability to introduce molecules, or more specifically, macromolecules such as proteins into formulations, even though they are generally anhydrous or have low water content. It is therefore desirable to provide coated or surface-treated particles while overcoming the above-described disadvantages of conventional coatings. There is also a need to provide new materials and methods for improved particle surface treatment.
Nanomaterials are materials that have a dimension of less than 100 nm, which are similar in size to proteins in the body. Nanomaterials may occur both naturally and synthetically. They can take the form of many different shapes, such as nanotubes, nanowires, crystalline structures such as quantum dots and fullerenes. They can also be made of many different types of materials, such as carbon, silicon, gold, cadmium, selenium, and metal oxide. Nanomaterials have broad applications in many technological fields. For example, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide nanoparticles have been used in sunscreens and cosmetics for sun protection. The titanium dioxide or zinc oxide nanoparticles are transparent and do not give the cosmetics the white, chalky appearance that is typically observed with coarser bulk titanium dioxide particles. However, upon illumination by ultra-violet (UV) light, the titanium dioxide or zinc oxide nanoparticles may release free oxygen radicals (e.g., superoxide and hydroxyl radicals). These free oxygen radicals are capable of oxidizing or decomposing compounds in the surrounding environment. Therefore, when formulated into sunscreen compositions, the titanium dioxide or zinc oxide nanoparticles may adversely affect the overall stability of the sunscreen compositions. Further, the titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles have enhanced affinity to the skin surface, in comparison with their respective larger sized counterparts, and they tend to settle into wrinkles or creases on the skin surface.
It is thus also desirable to provide coated or surface-treated nanoparticles of improved properties, in comparison with their uncoated or untreated counterparts. It is particularly desirable to provide coated or surface-treated titanium dioxide or zinc oxide nanoparticles that are suitable for use in sunscreens with little or no impact on the stability of the overall sunscreen compositions, as well as little or no tendency to settle into the wrinkles or creases on the skin surface.